ITINERARY:

Day 1 Arrive Auckland
Arrive Auckland and catch a taxi to your hotel for the next three nights.

Day 2 Auckland Day Tour
Explore Auckland with an experienced New Zealand driver/guide on a multi-award-winning tour. Enjoy the company of a small, personalised group, allowing you to stop often for stunning photos and to access the best vantage spots that larger buses can't reach. The tour starts with pickup from your hotel in Auckland CBD in the morning. Head to see the stunning attractions and unspoiled scenery of the City of Sails, as Auckland is affectionately known. There are plenty of opportunities to capture amazing photos that you will treasure for a lifetime.

The tour stops at the major highlights of the city, including Auckland Harbour Bridge, Devonport and North Head (Maungauika), Auckland Waterfront and Viaduct, Bastion Point, Mission Bay, Tamaki Drive and Achilles Point, and the Historic Mount Eden. Check out the amazing gannet colony at Muriwai Beach, the fabulous Auckland Domain, Museum, and Wintergardens, Parnell, the 1857 historic Riverhead Tavern, as well as the War Memorial, Wynyard Quarter, and the Viaduct Harbour. Your fun and friendly tour guide will offer commentary on the breathtaking scenery and take you out of the concrete jungle and into the stunning landscapes that surround the city. When the tour ends in the afternoon, you'll leave Auckland with a day you'll never forget.

Day 3 Free Day Auckland
Today is free to explore Auckland at your leisure. Use yesterday’s tour as a guide for where you’d like to spend more time, or discover new highlights. Auckland, based around two large harbours, is a major city in the north of New Zealand’s North Island. In the centre, the iconic Sky Tower has views of Viaduct Harbour, which is full of superyachts and lined with bars and cafes. Auckland Domain, the city’s oldest park, is based around an extinct volcano and home to the formal Wintergardens. Near Downtown, Mission Bay Beach has a seaside promenade.

Day 4 Auckland – Northern Explorer Train Journey – Wellington
Today make your own way to Auckland Train Station for a 7.45am departure onboard the famous Northern Explorer train. New Zealand's longest running passenger service, the Northern Explorer is a long-distance scenic train service running between Auckland and Wellington, stopping at Palmerston North, Ohakune, National Park and Hamilton.
The journey through Tongariro National Park, with its three spectacular volcanic mountains – Tongariro, Ngāuruhoe and Ruapehu – is a highlight, a place of extremes and surprises, where snow-blanketed fields, ancient lava flows and dense beech forests can be seen side by side. Arrive in Wellington this evening and make your own way to your centrally located Wellington accommodation.

Day 5 Wellington Day Tour
You will be picked up from the Wellington hotel at around 9.30am. First, head to Mt Victoria for superb views of the city and harbour and to give you the lie of the land. Peter Jackson's Weta Cave film empire is our next stop with time to check out the museum and shop with some great photo opportunities outside, before lunching by the sea at the renowned Chocolate Fish cafe. After lunch (included in the tour price) we continue to follow the rugged coastline around to Red Rocks and head off road to see the seal colony when in season.
We then drive back into the city and take you on a cable car ride and walk down through the picturesque Botanical Gardens to the Lady Norwood rose gardens. Then we head to the iconic Beehive and Parliament buildings before visiting Wellington's oldest church, Old St Pauls.
Finally, we head out West to the Wright Hill, a historic military site with commanding views of the greater Wellington region.

Day 6 Wellington – Interislander Ferry – Picton – Coastal Pacific Train Journey – Christchurch
This morning check out of your hotel and make your way to the ferry terminal for your 9am departure on the Kaitaki Interislander Ferry. Connecting our North Island and South Island together since 1962, the Interislander ferry service is New Zealand's original Cook Strait ferry. Sailing between Wellington and Picton several times a day, the Interislander journey is considered one of the most beautiful ferry journeys in the world and one of New Zealand's most iconic experiences. Arrive in Picton on the north of the South Island at approximately 12.30pm where you will disembark and make your own way to the Picton Station for a 1.40pm departure on the Coastal Pacific Train Journey. The station is very close to the ferry terminal, approximately 5 minutes’ walk.

Climb aboard one of the most picturesque journeys on New Zealand railways, meandering along the Pacific coast between Picton and Christchurch. The Coastal Pacific train takes you along rugged coastlines, across remote beaches, between mountains and sea, on a timeless journey of breathtaking beauty. Explore the stunning Kaikōura Coastline, famous for its marine life and whale watching. Voyage through the vineyards of Blenheim, dripping with New Zealand's premium crop. Canter amidst the idyllic Canterbury countryside to the Garden City of Christchurch. Upon arrival in Christchurch, make your own way to your centrally located accommodation and the evening is free to relax and reflect on the spectacular day.

Day 7 Christchurch – Christmas Day Lunch
Merry Christmas to one and all. Today, enjoy a cracking Christmas Lunch at Chateau in the Park – one of Christchurch’s favourite restaurants. This evening is free to dine at leisure. A merry day for one and all.

Day 8 Christchurch – TranzAlpine Rail Journey – Christchurch
We invite you to join us on a tour of discovery, featuring another day of spectacular scenery. From Christchurch travel by road to Springfield at the foothills of the Southern Alps.
At Springfield, board the world famous TranzAlpine train to travel through the Southern Alps to Arthurs Pass, viewing the alpine scenery through panoramic windows. The TranzAlpine is renowned as one of the top ten train journeys in the world.

From Arthurs Pass, we tour by road over the snow-capped Southern Alps in the Arthurs Pass National Park and on to the Otira Gorge making a photo stop. Visit the old village of Otira before returning to Arthurs Pass for lunch. After lunch explore the village and then start the return journey to Christchurch is by road stopping for an exhilarating jet boat ride through the spectacular gorges of the Waimakariri River. Following the jet boating, a visit will be made to a farm for late afternoon tea, followed by a sheep shearing and sheep mustering demonstration.

Day 9 Christchurch Day Tour
Discover Christchurch and get to know more about the Waipara wine region by visiting vineyards for wine-tasting and lunch on a Full Day Wine and Christchurch City Tour in New Zealand.

After being picked up, we travel to Christchurch and around the city centre where you’ll see the rebuilding that has taken place since the earthquakes of 2010/2011. We will talk about why the events occurred, its aftermath and the promising plans for the future. A short drive from Christchurch, a handful of boutique vineyards thrive in the surrounding area celebrated for producing aromatic whites and Pinot Noirs. We will stop by a number of wineries for tastings which showcase New Zealand’s phenomenal wines that are highly praised around the world. Canterbury also takes pride in promoting its home-grown produce and thriving food culture. Get a taste of the local food scene during lunch and wine-tasting at a winery/bistro (included).

During the day, we travel to the Port Hills overlooking Christchurch, and take in magnificent views of the city, the Lyttelton Harbour, Canterbury Plains and the Southern Alps in the distance. We make a stop at “She Chocolate,” a chocolatier café where we hope to tempt you with a mouth-watering selection of treats including ‘The Food of the Gods.’ Finally, we head home to drop you off at your hotel. (Please note that the weather and pick up/drop off points will determine the sequence of our activities today.)

Day 10 Depart Christchurch
Please catch a taxi Christchurch airport for your flights home. We trust you have had a wonderful time.

Please note: The day by day descriptions published are intended as an indicative guide only. Travel by nature is unpredictable. Weather patterns, rail & road conditions, public holidays, travel restrictions and a multitude of other factors may necessitate itinerary changes that ultimately are for the client’s benefit. It is essential that clients are flexible and open minded in this regard.